Ramen is coming, for six nights only, to Artifact Coffee

Richard GorelickThe Baltimore Sun

The ramen craze, which is mammoth elsewhere, has been slow to take hold in Baltimore. The Japanese noodle dish appears here and there on menus around town, but so far there are no restaurants dedicated to serving up the steaming bowls of nourishment.

But this weekend and next, Erik Bruner-Yang, the chef and owner at Washington’s Toki Underground, will be in Baltimore for a "takeover" at Artifact Coffee (1500 Union Ave., 410-235-1881, artifactcoffee.com), the Woodberry Kitchen spin-off restaurant located in Hampden.

The ramen evenings, which are Thursday through Saturday, and Jan. 16-18, are going by the name Tokifact.

Tokifact is really less of a take-over than a collaboration between Bruner-Yang and the Woodberry Kitchen team. The Tokifact ramen will feature spelt noodles made by Woodberry’s Isaiah Billington. Ramen noodles are typically made from wheat.

If there aren’t ramen shops on every corner in Baltimore, one of the reasons is that making a good ramen base is so time- and labor-intensive. The ramen base, which Bruner-Yang will start at 7 a.m. each day, will be made with garlic, ginger, onions and stone fruit, as well as pig’s feet and a whole hen.

The offerings at Tokifact will also include dumplings, sake and specially created cocktails from the bartenders at Woodberry Kitchen.

Tokifact will begin each evening at 6:30 p.m. and proceed on a first come, first-served basis. There are no reservations.